Stepping Stones
by Yamadori
Summary: Blue Dragon Anime; pre, during and post-series. Late birthday present for Growlmon1. Shu, Kluke, and ten drabbles from different points in their lives. Shu x Kluke


**To all: Hi, guys! :D …And I'm late again. D: Well, at least it's only a little over a week this time instead of a month and a half (or more, the time before that), right? …Right? …No? *weary sigh* Anyway. This fic uses ten themes from the livejournal community "10 at a time", which is a community that uses the list from another one, called "fanfic100", and allows you to pick ten themes from a list of a hundred. (I used "writer's choice", the last theme on the list, for the tenth drabble of this fic.) But, that's all that I really have to mention. Before I forget, though, there's a note I need to leave for a certain someone…**

**To Growlmon: **_**I'm so sorry**_**! I… really have no idea why this took so long. Well, I kind of do – for being less than 1,000 words each, it took a surprisingly long time to write these drabbles. I suppose that's because I wanted to make sure that it came out good… And hopefully I succeeded with that – I'll leave that up to you and everyone else to decide. Also, I kind of crossed my fingers when choosing this – I couldn't remember whether or not Shu x Kluke was your favorite pairing. I think it used to be up on your profile, but as the information is no longer there, I'm relying solely on my (atrocious) memory and hoping for the best. *sweatdrops* **Oh, and I apologize for the title – it seems rather mediocre to me. But I literally spent two and a half days trying to come up with an idea for what to call this thing, and this was the best that I came up with; I didn't want to take anymore time to try and come up with something better, considering how late this is already. Anyway…** I hope you enjoy it, Growlmon! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon or Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu. And, uh… Yeah. I don't have anything this time, either. XP**

_**1. Beginnings**_

~.~.~.

Shu cannot remember a time when Kluke was not there.

Even in his most distant memories - including those from when he was just barely out of infancy, the ones so old that they are blurred and fuzzy around the edges - he can see little flashes of her. The sound of her childish laughter, high pitch and babyish; her eyes staring at him, gentle and kind; her tiny hand in his own, soft and familiar.

For ten years, he's grown up right alongside her. Even when things are changing - when his mother dies; when he's no longer a small child; when he meets a woman and a boy that will change his life forever - Kluke is his one constant, the one person that has always been there and that he can always fall back on.

When she offers - no, _insists_, with no option of refusal, because that's his Kluke all the way - to go with him on his journey, he puts up a fuss, but it's only a facade. In truth, he is guiltily glad.

Shu doesn't know what he'd do without her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>2. Orange<strong>_

~.~.~.

Kluke raises a hand toward him hesitantly. "Sh... Shu-"

He slams the glass down in front of her. "Drink. Now."

"For goodness' sake. You're acting like this is a crisis or something."

"It _is_." Shu states this vehemently. "You didn't drink any yesterday. Or the day before that. _Or the day before that one_." The last part is said like she's committed some heinous crime. "Do the words 'vitamin C deficiency' mean anything to you?"

"Yeesh." She grabs the cup, muttering into it, "God forbid I ever sneeze."

"You _sneezed_? _When_?"

Kluke shoots him a withering glare. He either ignores it, or - more likely - it goes straight over his head. She sighs, supposing it doesn't matter either way, and drinks some of the juice, which she knows is the only thing that will placate him.

Several seconds later, when she sets the empty glass down on the table, Shu's shoulders visibly slump and relax, and Kluke has to allow herself a small grin.

He really gets on her nerves with the orange juice thing sometimes, but it's nice that he cares.

(Two years later, Kluke will smile softly as she looks over a letter from a friend. While she appreciates the letter as a whole, what has brought about her expression is the P.S. at the bottom: "Are you drinking enough orange juice?" And the P.P.S.: "Make sure to drink enough orange juice." And the P.P.P.S.: "And drink extra orange juice during the winter. I heard it gets cold up there in the mountains. Doesn't it feel weird when it gets cold during the winter? I couldn't imagine it..." And the P.P.P.P.S.: "Yeah, I don't think you're supposed to have this many postscripts, but anyway, don't slack off on having orange juice during the other seasons just because you're having extra during winter." And the P.P.P.P.P.S.: "And I'm really sure you're not supposed to have this many postscripts, but you don't mind, do you? Anyway, remember to drink...")

* * *

><p><em><strong>3. Green<strong>_

~.~.~.

Shu is still fairly young - maybe seven or so - when he comes to the conclusion that Kluke's eyes are pretty.

They look like the emerald necklaces they sell in the marketplace. Or like the leaves in the forest surrounding the village, bright and sparkling after one of the gentle rain showers at the beginning of the rainy season. (There are a few other good comparisons, but he doesn't remember them. He always forgets things like that...)

Whatever he compares them to doesn't always seem like enough, though. Sometimes he thinks that the color of her eyes is just distinctly hers, and that there's nothing else that's truly like it.

In any case, he still likes looking at them.

He's about nine when he realizes that Kluke herself is kind of pretty. Not long after that, once he's thought about it, he's startled by the realization that he's been thinking that in the back of his mind for quite a while.

Soon afterwards, he begins wondering if the fact that she's pretty is the reason behind the weird, fluttery feeling in his chest whenever he looks at her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>4. Broken<strong>_

~.~.~.

_I can't fight anymore. I can't fight anymore. I can't fight anymore._

The phrase repeats in his head, over and over again. The words feel like they're taunting him or haunting him, which is ridiculous, because he knows her and knows she would do neither (_do I really know you anymore?_), but the sentiment remains nonetheless.

It shouldn't really bother him, he thinks. She's a big girl, and she can make her own decisions without any input from him. She doesn't have to put a stop to her whole entire life just for him. He should be happy that she's finally breaking apart from him and coming into her own.

If that's true, though, when he walks away from the hospital, why does it _hurt so much_?

Shu remembered the village girls from back home - how he'd overheard them talking amongst themselves and giggling over romance books containing drama and hidden crushes and true love and heartbreak. He'd been rather young at the time, and had privately declared both love and broken hearts to be "girl things". Nothing that a boy would ever have to concern himself with.

And it's odd, he thinks, because when he eventually comes to accept that Kluke will not be joining him in the Resistance, that childish thought process doesn't seem to stop Shu from feeling like he's shattering.

* * *

><p><em><strong>5. Fixed<strong>_

~.~.~.

Kluke picks her way through the garden, looking around restlessly. _I hope he's still here._ Primula had said he usually comes here when the meetings "got too dull", as he liked to put it, but she'd also said he'd left a half hour earlier than when Kluke arrived.

Not very promising. The Shu she knows likes to wander.

... Then again, is he really still the Shu she knows? For that matter, is she still the Kluke she used to be?

She shoves the thoughts away. She's been doing that a lot these days.

When Kluke turns the corner, she lets out a near-silent breath of relief when she catches sight of him around the edge of the fountain, crouched over a colorful flowerbed.

There's a short pause of hesitation - What should she say to him? How should she say it? Should she just turn around and leave right now (in order to save them both from pain and embarrassment)? - but then Kluke gives herself a mental shake. She came here with a purpose, and she won't leave until she's fulfilled it. With a single nod, she approaches him.

"Shu-"

He jumps, whirling around to face her. He looks so startled, it makes her feel bad. "Kluke?" Surprise turns to bewilderment as the tension leaks out of his stance. "What are you doing here?"

Very quietly, she says, "I wanted to talk to you." She curls her fingers into her palms, willing her hands not to sweat. She lets her eyes lock on his - and for a moment, she can't breathe.

There's something broken in Shu's eyes, a hurt that runs deep and aches without ceasing, and Kluke knows that she's the cause.

Her heart constricts.

With slightly unsteady steps, Kluke moves closer to Shu, and then kneels down beside him. She stares at the flowers while she talks, as if hoping they'll give her strength. "I was thinking... that maybe we could spend some time together, like we used to..."

"Oh... Kluke, you don't have to do that." His voice is light and pleasant, almost cheerful, and that just makes it more painful for her. "I'm sure that you're going to be busy now, even though the war is over. I heard you were going to be working in the hospital here, and I wouldn't want to keep you from your work. Besides, I'm sure you'll still want to take care of Andropov-"

And it _hurts_, and she can't listen to him do this anymore, she _can't_, and biting back a cry she grabs his hand-

He goes still. "... Kluke?"

"That's true," her voice trembles slightly, "but it's time for me start taking care of you again, too."

She understands that she's made a mistake somewhere along the way. She should have gone with Shu, or should have convinced him to stay with her - or _something_, _anything_ to keep from damaging what's between them. She's determined to make things right, though, and is certain of her success.

After all, there's nothing Kluke can't fix.

* * *

><p><em><strong>6. Kiss<strong>_

~.~.~.

Shu has his first kiss when he's fourteen, and utterly by accident.

He enters the mechat dock on a whim. He can't help it. Primula is his friend and he has no problem with guarding her every few months or so, but he has to be honest with himself - all of those political meetings are stuffy and _boring_. And so he had figured he'd come down to the dock, stretch his legs a little, and look over some of the ships (since they've started to interest him since his time in the Resistance).

He just hadn't expected his wandering to coincide with Kluke making repairs.

On paper, her profession is a nurse. (He knows that in her heart, she is and always will be a mechanic.) But when it comes to repairs, Kluke is the most talented person in the entire continent. (In Shu's personal opinion, she's the best in the entire world.) Plus, she works in Nirvana's main hospital, and so White Brigade asks for her assistance from time to time.

Shu stands still near the dock entrance, staring at her while she works. Nervousness blooms in his heart like a flower. He doesn't know why. Things are more or less settled between them, but their time apart still left a big impact on their friendship, and he never quite knows what to do or say around her anymore.

He swallows, then smacks himself on the face. Kluke is his friend. He's known her his entire life, and been with her for most of it - she's the last person he should be hesitating to talk to. Resolved, he strides toward her in what he assures himself is a confident manner (in actuality, his movements are rather jerky and awkward, but he's somewhat sure that if he keeps telling himself he's confident it will start to be true).

He isn't aware of the screwdriver lying on the floor until he steps on it. The tool rolls under his foot, and he yelps and flails as it brings him straight toward Kluke.

Her head shoots up, a black smudge of oil staining her cheek, emerald eyes wide with surprise. "Shu-"

He lunges, trying to catch himself by grabbing the mechat, but by then it's already too late.

Kluke has started rising, her hands held out with intention of stopping his fall-

And then, somehow, his mouth is crashing into hers.

One of his hands is braced on the mechat, the metal cool against his palm; the other is on Kluke's shoulder, warmth seeping into his fingers from where they grip her. He's so surprised that he isn't even really sure what to do. Should he pull away? Or deepen the kiss?

It's then that he notices that she is rigid and stiff under his hand, her lips still and unyielding. Her eyes are staring at him in shock - but worse than that, she's looking at him like she's never seen him before, and Shu feels a sharp pain suspiciously close to his heart.

... Is kissing him really so horrible?

Then, suddenly and quickly, her eyes are slipping shut as she pulls him to her roughly, and she's the one to move her mouth against his and deepen the kiss. He shivers against her, bringing his other hand to her right shoulder as she tangles her hands in his hair.

Against her lips, he smiles. It's so very like her to take charge.

* * *

><p><em><strong>7. Hug<strong>_

~.~.~.

When his arms come around her, Kluke wonders if she's still dreaming.

Hugs made her nervous when she was younger. She's mostly grown out of that now.

But when Shu hugs her when she wakes up (waking up from a coma, she'll find out later), she has to wonder if she isn't reverting back to childhood habits.

Her skin prickles with goosebumps. Her stomach twists itself into knots. Her face heats up. Her breath catches in her throat. Her heart skips a beat.

She responds the only way she knows how - she throws up her elbow and sends Shu careening into the wall.

Hitting him feels good. It helps ease all of the confusing feelings, and makes her feel better.

But it doesn't feel as good as when she locks eyes with him afterwards. And she decides the odd things her heart and stomach are doing aren't really so bad after all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>8. Life worth living<strong>_

~.~.~.

When Shu wakes up, his first conscious thought is, _Wow. I don't think I've ever been in this much pain before._

He has just become newly acquainted with parts of him that he didn't even know existed - primarily because there is basically nothing on his body that isn't outright screaming in agony.

The only part of him that isn't racked with pain is, oddly enough, his ears.

Well. Life is unexpected.

That line of thought brings about a new question, though. How did he end up this way?

Forcing his eyes open seems too exhausting of a task to be worth the knowledge of his whereabouts, but regardless, he manages to do it. Shu instantly regrets it when light - sunlight, maybe? It feels warm on his skin - stabs into his pupils like knives. (It also doubles the pain in his head, while it's at it.) He promptly squeezes the lids shut again, wishing that he was still asleep, but knowing that there's no chance of becoming unconscious so soon after he's woken. (Unless, of course, something goes terribly wrong.)

Voices flood his senses.

"Shu?"

"Is he awake?"

"He opened his eyes, maro!"

"Darling, how do you feel?"

"_Shu_!"

The last person makes him recognize the previous four - because Shu knows that someone better than he knows himself.

Memories flood into his head in second-long flashes. Nene. Chimera. The rubble covering him. Blue Dragon, vanishing and reappearing. That final blast of Blue Explosion...

They _beat Nene_. They really beat him. They _won_.

... It hardly seems real.

"K... Kluke..." He makes himself reopen his eyes, and when his vision adjusts, the first thing he sees is the tear-filled pair spare inches from his own.

"You're okay." Her fingers brush over his hair, his face, and he finds himself subconsciously leaning into her touch. "You're really okay." There's something in her expression, in her eyes, that he doesn't have a hope of discerning - but it makes his stomach feel like it's doing somersaults. "We... I... I-I thought you were going to..."

_Die._ She doesn't even need to say it.

Shu is suddenly flooded with shame. For a moment back there, he _had_ wanted to give in. Wanted to close his eyes and forget about all of his troubles. Wanted to just lie down and die.

"I didn't." He lays his hand over hers, where it rests on his cheek, and both of them smile at each other. "I'm here."

Looking into Kluke's smiling face, Shu is glad that he chose to live.

* * *

><p><em><strong>9. Protect<strong>_

~.~.~.

Kluke has spent her whole life watching over Shu.

If he scraped his knee, she'd sling him over her back - because he'd always been shorter - and carry him to Toyodeh or Fushira. Once she'd gotten out of her shy phase, if any bullies dared to tease him, she'd punch them in the face or kick them in the groin (unless they were, more rarely, girls - then she'd pull their hair). If he had questions about their lessons, she was always there to help him figure out the answer, even if he was just going to forget it by the next day.

When he decided to go with Jiro and Zola, she was right there with him. Because looking out for him is her job, her duty. It's more than that, even - it's irrevocably a part of her heart and soul. It's who she _is_.

She isn't sure she could describe her anguish when she realized that the things Shu had to face were too big for her to handle. She had her fist gun, and she was good with machines - but what good does that do against Shadows that could level a city if given the time? And those were the enemies Shu had to face - foes she didn't have even the slightest chance of standing up against.

... Never before had she felt such despair.

And then Phoenix awakened, and she finally _could_ make a difference. It had been difficult at first, but through trial and error, she made herself strong. She turned her kindness into strength, just as Zola had said, and now that she can use her Shadow, she can protect Shu from the things she hadn't been able to shield him from before.

These are the thoughts running through her head as she charges forward and uses Dance in the Dark against Rogi and Valkyrie.

Shu goes in for the attack, Blue Dragon swinging wide with Rusty Nail. But Valkyrie is there, already bringing up her sword for what Kluke instinctively knows will be a killing blow.

Time seems to slow and stop. She has a decision to make.

She can continue using Dance in the Dark, which will probably end in Rogi's death. Or she can protect Shu from Valkyrie's attack, an attack which will likely result in Shu's death unless she stops to use Protect Feather on him and Blue Dragon.

There is no choice at all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>10. Flower<strong>_

~.~.~.

Kluke shivers as the chilly night air nips at her skin. She's never liked the cold all that much.

She should probably be back inside the house, back at the party, like Andropov had worriedly told her to an hour ago. She'd told him she would come inside soon, but she'd been half-lying. In truth, she won't be going back inside until _he_ arrives, and not a moment before.

Kluke sighs, and shoots an almost accusing glance at the starry sky. _You promised me. Our thirteenth birthday... You promised we would have our birthday together again._

Her heart aches a little. It feels... almost like he's abandoned her...

_It's just as well, if it's true. It's not like I don't deserve it._

She pushes down all thoughts revolving around a two-year-long separation.

It's right around then that she sees the mechat.

And it's been a long time since she's been able to feel when he's near, a long time since she hasn't been able to tell where her thoughts end and his begin - but when she sees the ship, Kluke knows it's him.

She runs to meet him, stopping only when she is near the spot where the mechat lands.

Abruptly, Kluke realizes she is crying. She doesn't know why. Perhaps she's relieved, because he's finally here. Perhaps she's mad at him, and crying tears of frustration.

Or perhaps, even though she's seen him since they were apart for the first time in their lives, she has just been missing him.

She quickly scrubs her cheeks dry with the back of her hand. Whatever the reason is, it won't do for him to see her face wet with tears.

The hatch door opens, and Shu springs out of it with a light jump. He lifts his head, the corners of his mouth raised in a smile and his eyes shining warmly.

... Yes, she _has_ missed him.

He straightens. "Sorry I'm late. I would've gotten here sooner, but... I was looking for your birthday present," he grins at her, "and I had to make sure I got the very best one."

Shu brings his right arm out from behind his back, balancing the object on his hip, and Kluke can only stare.

It's probably the most beautiful flower she's ever seen.

"Shu..." She lifts a hand subconsciously towards her mouth.

"It was hard to find," his voice has become very gentle, and she thinks that maybe he's talking about more than one thing, "but I think the journey was worth it."

With a little cry, she throws herself at him, careful not to crush her gift, wrapping her arms around his neck. Shu lets out a soft and surprised breath, stirring the strands of hair near her ear, and then he's returning the embrace with one arm, pressing his forehead against her shoulder.

She swallows past a thickness in her throat. "Thank you, Shu." Her hands tighten on his shoulders, bringing him closer. Ever since she woke up from her coma after awakening Phoenix, she had been embarrassed about hugging Shu (though perhaps some of that was residual embarrassment from her childhood shyness concerning hugs). Now, though, after that long time apart (even though he's been back), it feels like the most wonderful thing in the world. "I'm glad you made it."

Kluke hears the smile in his voice. "So am I."

It's been months since the fighting stopped, but somehow Kluke feels that it is this moment that a conflict has been resolved and a journey has come to an end. Untangling her limbs from around him, she takes Shu's hand, leading him towards the light spilling out of the open doorway, the house that holds the birthday party and their friends. She is determined to see what the future holds. She tightens her hold on him ever so slightly; whatever comes next, she's certain that the best is yet to come.

Because it is time for the two of them to walk the same path once again.

Kluke looks forward to seeing where that road will take them.

… **And it's done! :D I'm feeling a bit proud of myself, actually. This is probably the heaviest Shu x Kluke I've ever written, and it came out much better than I expected. Looking back on the drabbles, I've realized that I actually like them quite a bit. While not my favorite pairing for either Shu or Kluke, I do like Shu x Kluke a considerable amount; despite this, I often have difficulty writing for these two when they're paired up. Because of that, I'm very glad this turned out as well as it did. As for **_**how**_**good it is… Well, I'll leave that up to all of you. ;D (Note: I'm sure many of you noticed this, but yes - the flower in the final drabble is the same flower that Shu gives to Kluke for her birthday at the end of the Blue Dragon game.)**

**So! If you can, please review and let me know what you think. :) I've decided that I'm now going to begin working on the next birthday present I have planned, in the hopes that maybe I won't be quite so late next time – it would be nice if I actually gave you guys your birthday presents on time for a change, wouldn't it? – but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop working on the poll leader; I'm going to continue writing **_**Yami no Himitsu**_** along with the present, and will hopefully have it finished promptly. Anyway, that's all I have to mention. Thanks for reading! :D And one last thing:**

**Happy Birthday, Growlmon! :D**


End file.
